Top 10 Extreme Vacations

People have long been fascinated by sharks. Who hasn't seen (or at least heard of) the classic 1970s movie Jaws? Test your mettle on a shark cage diving trip. There are two basic types of shark cage diving. Traditional dives are done in heavy metal cages released into areas where massive Great White sharks reside. There are often a few divers per cage, and you'll typically start out with a one-hour dive, then increase your cage time over the course of the trip. Although you're safe in a metal cage, be prepared for the sharks to pass very close to you -- as close as 12 inches (30 centimeters) [source: Shark Diver].

Soft-cage diving is done in warm water, where smaller sharks swim (e.g., Tiger and Blacktip sharks). Because these sharks are only interested in feeding on small fish, you can go down in a much lighter "soft" cage. While in your floating soft cage, you may see up to 30 sharks silently swimming by. You might even be able to get out of the cage and paddle around with the sharks, depending on the species and what your guides decide [source: Shark Cage Diving KZN].